Migrating port-specific operating parameters during blade server failover

ABSTRACT

Migrating port-specific operating parameters during blade server failover including querying, by a system management server of a data center, a switch for port-specific operating parameters of a first port, the data center comprising blade servers coupled for data communications to one another and to the system management server by a network, the system management server comprising a computer subsystem that automates server management processes in the data center, the switch comprising a data communications component of the network, the switch comprising ports, the ports comprising physical points of connection between the switch and blade servers, each port having associated port-specific operating parameters, the switch connected at the first port to a failing blade server; and assigning, by the system management server, the port-specific operating parameters to a second port in a same switch or another switch connected at the second port to a replacement blade server.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The field of the invention is data processing, or, more specifically,methods, apparatus, and products for migrating port-specific operatingparameters during blade server failover.

2. Description of Related Art

The development of the EDVAC computer system of 1948 is often cited asthe beginning of the computer era. Since that time, computer systemshave evolved into extremely complicated devices. Today's computers aremuch more sophisticated than early systems such as the EDVAC. Computersystems typically include a combination of hardware and softwarecomponents, application programs, operating systems, processors, buses,memory, input/output devices, and so on. As advances in semiconductorprocessing and computer architecture push the performance of thecomputer higher and higher, more sophisticated computer software hasevolved to take advantage of the higher performance of the hardware,resulting in computer systems today that are much more powerful thanjust a few years ago.

Blade computers are increasingly being used to run critical applicationsthat require a high level of redundancy and fault tolerance. Variousclustering solutions exist such as VMware's high availability andMicrosoft's clustering technology, but these systems are often complexand high priced. To provide redundancy and fault tolerance, a failingblade computer may be replaced automatically in process called bladefailover. During such a blade failover, the failing blade computer'soperating system is migrated from the failing blade computer to thereplacement blade computer. The network infrastructure connecting thefailing blade computer may include various port-specific operatingparameters associated with a port on a network switch at which thefailing blade computer is connected. Such port-specific operatingparameters may include Quality of Service (‘QoS’) settings for Ethernetports, Virtual Local Area Network (‘VLAN’) settings for Ethernet ports,N_port ID Virtualization (‘NPIV’) parameters for Fibre Channel ports,and others as will occur to those of skill in the art. Theseport-specific operating parameters also need to be migrated from thefailing blade computer to the replacement blade computer duringfailover.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Methods, apparatus, and products for migrating port-specific operatingparameters during blade server failover are disclosed that includequerying, by a system management server of a data center, a switch forport-specific operating parameters of a first port, the data centercomprising blade servers coupled for data communications to one anotherand to the system management server by a network, the system managementserver comprising a computer subsystem that automates server managementprocesses in the data center, the switch comprising a datacommunications component of the network, the switch comprising ports,the ports comprising physical points of connection between the switchand blade servers, each port having associated port-specific operatingparameters, the switch connected at the first port to a failing bladeserver; and assigning, by the system management server, theport-specific operating parameters to a second port in a same switch oranother switch connected at the second port to a replacement bladeserver.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of theinvention will be apparent from the following more particulardescriptions of exemplary embodiments of the invention as illustrated inthe accompanying drawings wherein like reference numbers generallyrepresent like parts of exemplary embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 sets forth a functional block diagram of an exemplary systemimplementing migrating port-specific operating parameters during bladeserver failover.

FIG. 2 sets forth a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method formigrating port-specific operating parameters during blade serverfailover according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 sets forth a flow chart illustrating a further exemplary methodfor migrating port-specific operating parameters during blade serverfailover according to embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Exemplary methods, apparatus, and products for migrating port-specificoperating parameters during blade server failover in accordance with thepresent invention are described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, beginning with FIG. 1. FIG. 1 sets forth a functional blockdiagram of an exemplary system that migrates port-specific operatingparameters during blade server failover according to embodiments of thepresent invention. The exemplary system of FIG. 1 includes a data center(120) that, in turn, includes a system management server (152) andseveral blade servers (104,106). The data center (120) is a facilityused to house mission critical computer systems and associatedcomponents. Such a data center includes environmental controls (airconditioning, fire suppression, etc.), redundant/backup power supplies,redundant data communications connections, and high security,highlighted by biometric access controls to compartmentalized securityzones within the facility. A data center is a facility used for housinga large amount of electronic equipment, typically computers andcommunications equipment. A data center is maintained by an organizationfor the purpose of handling the data necessary for its operations. Abank, for example, may have a data center, where all its customers'account information is maintained and transactions involving theseaccounts are carried out. Practically every company that is mid-sized orlarger has some kind of data center with the larger companies oftenhaving dozens of data centers.

A server, as the term is used in this specification, refers generally toa multi-user computer that provides a service (e.g. database access,file transfer, remote access) or resources (e.g. file space) over anetwork connection. The term ‘server,’ as context requires, refersinclusively to the server's computer hardware as well as any serverapplication software or operating system software running on the server.A server application is an application program that accepts connectionsin order to service requests from users by sending back responses. Aserver application can run on the same computer as the clientapplication using it, or a server application can accept connectionsthrough a computer network. Examples of server applications include fileserver, database server, backup server, print server, mail server, webserver, FTP servers, application servers, VPN servers, DHCP servers, DNSservers, WINS servers, logon servers, security servers, domaincontrollers, backup domain controllers, proxy servers, firewalls, and soon.

Blade servers are self-contained servers, designed for high density. Ablade enclosure provides services such as power, cooling, networking,various interconnects and management—though different blade providershave differing principles around what should and should not be includedin the blade itself—and sometimes in the enclosure altogether. Together,a set of blade servers installed in a blade enclosure or ‘blade center’for a blade system. As a practical matter, all computers are implementedwith electrical components requiring power that produces heat.Components such as processors, memory, hard drives, power supplies,storage and network connections, keyboards, video components, a mouse,and so on, merely support the basic computing function, yet they all addbulk, heat, complexity, and moving parts that are more prone to failurethan solid-state components. In the blade paradigm, most of thesefunctions are removed from the blade computer, being either provided bythe blade enclosure (DC power), virtualized (iSCSI storage, remoteconsole over IP), or discarded entirely (serial ports). The blade itselfbecomes simpler, smaller, and amenable to dense installation with manyblade servers in a single blade enclosure.

The example system of FIG. 1 includes a number of servers, active bladeservers (106), a pool (104) of available standby blade servers, and asystem management server (152). An active blade server (106) is a bladeserver presently in use to provide responses to user requests for dataprocessing services from the data center (120). The example system ofFIG. 1 also includes a pool (104) of available standby blade servers. Astandby blade server is a blade server that is not presently in use toprovide responses to user requests for data processing services from thedata center (120) but is available to be brought into active serviceupon failure of an active blade server.

The example system of FIG. 1 includes a blade server management module(116), an aggregation of computer hardware and software that isinstalled in a blade enclosure or blade center to provide supportservices for blade servers in the blade enclosure. Support servicesprovided by the blade server management module (116) include monitoringhealth of blade servers and reporting health statistics to a systemmanagement server, power management and power control, save and restoreconfigurations, discovery of available blade servers, event logmanagement, memory management, and so on. An example of a blade servermanagement module that can be used in systems that migrate port-specificoperating parameters during blade server failover according toembodiments of the present invention is IBM's Advanced Management Module(‘AMM’). The blade server management module (116) in this examplecommunicates with a system management server (152) through a local areanetwork (‘LAN’) (100), and the blade server management module (116)communicates with the blade servers (106, 104) through an out-of-bandnetwork (101). The LAN may be implemented as an Ethernet, an IP(Internet Protocol) network, or the like, and the out-of-band network(101) may be implemented as an Inter-Integrated Circuit (‘I²C’) bus, aSystem Management Bus (‘SMBus’), an Intelligent Platform Management Bus(‘IPMB’), or the like.

Each of the blade servers (106) in the system of FIG. 1 are connected tothe LAN (100) for data communications through a switch (219). Bladeservers (104) are also connected for data communications to the LAN(100) through another switch (218). A switch is a computing device thatconnects network segments. Low-end network switches appear nearlyidentical to network hubs, but a switch typically contains moreintelligence than a network hub. Network switches, for example, arecapable of inspecting data packets as they are received, determining thesource and destination device of the packets and forwarding the packetsappropriately. Switches useful in systems that migrate port-specificoperating parameters during blade server failover according toembodiments of the present invention may include, for example, Ethernetswitches, Fibre Channel switches, and other types of switches as willoccur to those of skill in the art. Each switch (218,219) in the systemof FIG. 1 includes several ports, physical points of connection betweenthe blade servers and the switch. Each port has a port identification,typically a port number, that identifies the actual physical connectionpoint between the switch and a blade server.

In addition to typical data packet forwarding, switches according toembodiments of the present invention may also maintain associations ofone or more parameters and particular ports of the switch. Suchparameters are referred to in this specification as ‘port-specificoperating parameters.’ A port-specific parameter is a data valueassociated with a port that advises the port's switch how to operate theport. The port-specific operating parameters are ‘port-specific’ in thesense that a switch may include a number of ports, each of which canhave separate operating parameters, each of which can therefore beoperated differently depending on the system requirements of the networkin which the switch operates. These port-specific operating parametersmay be set, modified, and managed by a system management server (152)through the switch itself. Such port-specific operating parameters mayinclude, for example, Quality of Service (‘QoS’) settings for Ethernetports, Virtual Local Area Network (‘VLAN’) settings for Ethernet ports,N_Port ID Virtualization (‘NPIV’) parameters for Fibre Channel ports,and so on as will occur to those of skill in the art.

The system of FIG. 1 includes an exemplary system management server(152) useful in migrating port-specific operating parameters duringblade server failover according to embodiments of the present invention.The system management server (152) is a server of the data center (120)that automates many of the processes that are required to proactivelymanage servers in the data center, including capacity planning, assettracking, preventive maintenance, diagnostic monitoring,troubleshooting, firmware updates, blade server failover, and so on. Thesystem management server (152) of FIG. 1 includes at least one computerprocessor (156) or ‘CPU’ as well as random access memory (168) (‘RAM’)which is connected through a high speed memory bus (166) and bus adapter(158) to processor (156) and to other components of the systemmanagement server (152).

Stored in RAM (168) is a system management server application program(182), a set of computer program instructions that operate the systemmanagement server so as to automatically under program control carry outprocesses required to manage servers in the data center, includingcapacity planning, asset tracking, preventive maintenance, diagnosticmonitoring, troubleshooting, firmware updates, blade server failover,and so on. An example of a system management server application program(182) that can be improved to migrate port-specific operating parametersduring failover of blade servers in a data center according toembodiments of the present invention is IBM's ‘Director.’

Also stored in RAM (168) is a server failover module (184), a module ofcomputer program instructions for automatic administration of bladeserver failover. The transfer of operation from a failing active bladeserver (108) to an available standby blade server (114) so as to ensureuninterrupted data flow, operability, and data processing services forusers of the data center is referred to in this specification as‘failover.’Failover is the automated substitution of a functionallyequivalent standby blade server for a failing active blade server.Failures that lead to failover can include a loss of power to an activeblade server, a memory fault in an active blade server, a processordefect in an active blade server, loss of network connectivity for anactive blade server, and so on. The data center (120) in this exampleprovides automated failover from a failing active blade server to astandby blade server through the server failover module (184) of thesystem management server (152). An example of a server failover modulethat can be improved for failover of blade servers in a data centeraccording to embodiments of the present invention is IBM's ‘Boot FromSAN Blade Failover Extension for IBM Director.’

Also stored in RAM (168) is an operating system (154). Operating systemsuseful for migrating port-specific operating parameters during bladeserver failover according to embodiments of the present inventioninclude UNIX™, Linux™, Microsoft XP™, AIX™, IBM's i5/OS™, and others aswill occur to those of skill in the art. The operating system (154), thesystem management server application (182), the server failover module(184), and the SMI-S provider interface (186) in the example of FIG. 1are shown in RAM (168), but many components of such software typicallyare stored in non-volatile memory also, such as, for example, on a diskdrive (170) or in flash memory (188).

The system management server (152) of FIG. 1 includes disk drive adapter(172) coupled through expansion bus (160) and bus adapter (158) toprocessor (156) and other components of the system management server(152). Disk drive adapter (172) connects non-volatile data storage tothe system management server (152) in the form of disk drive (170). Diskdrive adapters useful in system management servers that migrateport-specific operating parameters during blade server failoveraccording to embodiments of the present invention include IntegratedDrive Electronics (‘IDE’) adapters, Small Computer System Interface(‘SCSI’) adapters, and others as will occur to those of skill in theart. Non-volatile computer memory also may be implemented for as anoptical disk drive, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory(so-called ‘EEPROM’ or ‘Flash’ memory) (188), RAM drives, and so on, aswill occur to those of skill in the art.

The example system management server (152) of FIG. 1 includes one ormore input/output (‘I/O’) adapters (178). I/O adapters implementuser-oriented input/output through, for example, software drivers andcomputer hardware for controlling output to display devices such ascomputer display screens, as well as user input from user input devices(181) such as keyboards and mice. The example system management server(152) of FIG. 1 includes a video adapter (209), which is an example ofan I/O adapter specially designed for graphic output to a display device(180) such as a display screen or computer monitor. Video adapter (209)is connected to processor (156) through a high speed video bus (164),bus adapter (158), and the front side bus (162), which is also a highspeed bus.

The exemplary system management server (152) of FIG. 1 includes acommunications adapter (167) for data communications with othercomputers (182) and for data communications with a data communicationsnetwork (100). Such data communications may be carried out seriallythrough RS-232 connections, through external buses such as a UniversalSerial Bus (‘USB’), through data communications data communicationsnetworks such as IP data communications networks, and in other ways aswill occur to those of skill in the art. Communications adaptersimplement the hardware level of data communications through which onecomputer sends data communications to another computer, directly orthrough a data communications network. Examples of communicationsadapters useful for migrating port-specific operating parameters duringblade server failover according to embodiments of the present inventioninclude modems for wired dial-up communications, Ethernet (IEEE 802.3)adapters for wired data communications network communications, and802.11 adapters for wireless data communications network communications.

The example system management server of FIG. 1 operates generally tomigrate port-specific operating parameters during blade server failoveraccording to embodiments of the present invention by querying at leastone switch (219) connected at one or more ports to a failing bladeserver (108) for port-specific operating parameters of the one or moreports connecting the failing blade server (108) and assigning, in atleast one switch (219) connected at one or more ports to a replacementblade server (114), the port-specific operating parameters to the one ormore ports connecting the replacement blade server (114).

The example system management server (152) of FIG. 1 may query at leastone switch (219) connected at one or more ports to a failing bladeserver (108) for port-specific operating parameters of the one or moreports by, for each switch in a chassis in which the failing blade serveris installed: determining, from a data structure associating slotnumbers and port identifications, one or more port identificationsassociated with a slot number of the failing blade server and queryingthe switch for port-specific operating parameters using the determinedport identifications associated with the slot number of the failingblade. The physical location in which a blade server is installed in achassis is referred to as a slot. Each slot is represented by a slotnumber. The slot number of the failing blade server represents thephysical location of the failing blade server in a chassis in the datacenter (120). When a blade server fails the BSMM monitoring the healthof the blade server identifies the failure and sends an eventnotification to the system management server (152). Such an eventnotification typically includes a slot number of the failing bladeserver.

In typical blade server chassis, each port of a switch installed in thechassis is physically connected to a single slot and any blade serverinstalled in that slot will be connected to the switch at that port. Thesystem management server (152), therefore, maintains a port assignmenttable (186) that includes associations of port identifications of aswitch, specifically port numbers, and slot numbers that connect to theports. The associations of ports and slots may vary between chassistypes. Port 4 of an Ethernet switch installed in IBM's BladeCenter HTchassis, for example, may be permanently physically connected to slot 5in the chassis. As an alternative to having associations of ports andslots defined in accordance with a chassis type, a user may specifyassociations, and therefore actual physical connections, between theports of a switch and slots in the chassis.

The example system management server (152) of FIG. 1 may assign theport-specific operating parameters to the one or more ports connectingthe replacement blade server by sending, to a vendor-provided plug-infor the switch connected to the replacement blade server, an instructionto assign the port-specific operating parameters to the one or moreports of the switch connected to the replacement blade server. Theplug-in (187) in FIG. 1 is installed as part of the system managementserver. A plug-in is a module of computer program instructions thatinteracts with a host application, such as a web browser or an emailclient, for example, to provide a very specific function on demand.Software applications, such as the system management server supportplug-ins for many reasons. Some of the reasons include: enablingthird-party developers to create capabilities to extend the softwareapplication, to support features yet unforeseen, reducing the size ofthe software application, and separating source code from the softwareapplication because of incompatible software licenses. Thevendor-provided plug-in is a module of computer program instructionsthat extends the capabilities of the system management serverapplication in that the plug-in is capable of receiving queries forport-specific operating parameters of a particular switch and retrievingsuch parameters. Accessing port-specific operating parameters onswitches having various vendors may require vendor specific computerprogram instructions for each switch. To reduce complexity and size ofthe system management server application, a user may install only asingle vendor plug-in for each switch currently in use in the datacenter, where each vendor plug-in provides the necessary computerprogram instructions for querying and assigning port-specific operatingparameters for a particular switch.

As mentioned above, the switches (218,219) maintain associations of portidentifications and port-specific operating parameters. In the system ofFIG. 1, for example, switch (219) includes association of portidentifications (206,207,208) and parameters (212,213,214). Also in thesystem of FIG. 1, switch (218) includes associations of portidentifications (209,210,211) and parameters (215,216,217). Assume forpurposes of explanation that the port-specific operating parameters(214) associated with the port identification (208) are parameters forthe failing blade server (108). Assigning the port-specific operatingparameters to the one or more ports connecting the replacement bladeserver may include assigning (220) the parameters (214) associated withthe port identification (208) as the parameters (215) associated withthe port identification (209). The assignment effectively migrates thefailing blade server's port-specific operating parameters to the portconnecting the replacement blade server.

The arrangement of servers and other devices making up the exemplarysystem illustrated in FIG. 1 are for explanation, not for limitation.Data processing systems useful according to various embodiments of thepresent invention may include additional servers, routers, otherdevices, and peer-to-peer architectures, not shown in FIG. 1, as willoccur to those of skill in the art. Networks in such data processingsystems may support many data communications protocols, including forexample TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), IP (Internet Protocol),HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol), WAP (Wireless Access Protocol), HDTP(Handheld Device Transport Protocol), and others as will occur to thoseof skill in the art. Various embodiments of the present invention may beimplemented on a variety of hardware platforms in addition to thoseillustrated in FIG. 1.

For further explanation, FIG. 2 sets forth a flow chart illustrating anexemplary method for migrating port-specific operating parameters duringblade server failover according to embodiments of the present invention.The method of FIG. 2 includes establishing (224) automatically by asystem management server (152) a data structure (226) associating slotnumbers (240) and port identifications (242) in dependence upon achassis type (226). As mentioned above, chassis of different types maybe configured with ports physically connected to particular slots, wherethis configuration is static and cannot be changed. Establishing (224)automatically by a data structure (226) associating slot numbers (240)and port identifications (242) in dependence upon a chassis type (226)may be carried out by identifying from a list of blade chassis types,the associations of slot numbers and port identifications for theparticular chassis type (226). The data structure associating slotnumbers (240) and port identifications (242) in the example of FIG. 2 isdepicted as a port assignment table (226). As an alternative toautomatically establishing the data structure, a user may manuallyestablish the data structure by associating slot numbers and portidentifications. This manual establishment enables a user defined portassignment table in which a particular port of a chassis may beconfigured by a user to connect to any particular slot in the chassis.

The method of FIG. 2 also includes querying (228), by the systemmanagement server (152), at least one switch (219) connected at one ormore ports to a failing blade server (108) for port-specific operatingparameters (236) of the one or more ports connecting the failing bladeserver (108). In the example of FIG. 2, the port-specific operatingparameters may include QoS settings (246) for Ethernet ports, VLANsettings (248) for Ethernet ports, NPIV Parameters (250) for FibreChannel ports, or any other parameter that may be associated with aparticular switch port as will occur those of skill in the art.

In the method of FIG. 2, querying (228) at least one switch (219) forport-specific operating parameters (236) is carried out by, for eachswitch in a chassis in which the failing blade server is installed:determining (230), from the data structure (236) associating slotnumbers (240) and port identifications (232), one or more portidentifications (240) associated with a slot number (240) of the failingblade server (108) and querying (234) the switch (219) for port-specificoperating parameters (236) using the determined port identifications(232) associated with the slot number (240) of the failing blade (108).As mentioned above, when a blade server fails the BSMM monitoring thehealth of the blade server identifies the failure and sends an eventnotification to the system management server (152). Such an eventnotification typically includes a slot number of the failing bladeserver. The system management server may use the slot number from theevent notification to determining a port identification associated withthe slot number. After querying the switch for port-specific operatingparameters, the method of FIG. 2 continues by assigning (238), in atleast one switch (218) connected at one or more ports to a replacementblade server (113), the port-specific operating parameters (236) to theone or more ports connecting the replacement blade server (114).

The method of FIG. 2 also includes assigning (239), in the switch (219)connected at one or more ports to the failing blade server (108),default port-specific operating parameters (244) to the one or moreports connecting the failing blade server (108). Default port-specificoperating parameters are blade-independent parameters, typicallyassigned to a port that is not use, either because a blade serverconnected to the port is not powered on or because there is no bladeserver connected to the port at all. Such blade-independent parametersin accordance with embodiments of the present invention may represent noactual parameters. That is, assigning default port-specific operatingparameters typically results in clearing all port-specific, andtherefore blade server specific, parameters from that port of theswitch. In other cases, the default parameters may be parameters thatare chassis dependent—minimum requirements for any blade serverinstalled into the chassis.

For further explanation, FIG. 3 sets forth a flow chart illustrating afurther exemplary method for migrating port-specific operatingparameters during blade server failover according to embodiments of thepresent invention. The method of FIG. 3 is similar to the method of FIG.2 including, as it does, the system management server's (152) querying(228) at least one switch (219) connected at one or more ports to afailing blade server (108) for port-specific operating parameters (236)of the one or more ports connecting the failing blade server (108), andassigning (238), in at least one switch (218) connected at one or moreports to a replacement blade server (114), the port-specific operatingparameters (236) to the one or more ports connecting the replacementblade server (114).

The method of FIG. 3 differs from the method of FIG. 2, however, in thatin the method of FIG. 3 assigning (238), in at least one switch (218)connected at one or more ports to a replacement blade server (114), theport-specific operating parameters (236) to the one or more portsconnecting the replacement blade server (114) may be carried out bysending (302), to a vendor-provided plug-in (187) for the switch (218)connected to the replacement blade server (114), an instruction (304) toassign the port-specific operating parameters (236) to the one or moreports of the switch (218) connected to the replacement blade server(114). In the method of FIG. 3, the vendor-provided plug-in (187) isinstalled as part of the system management server (152). As mentionedabove, a plug-in is a module of computer program instructions thatinteracts with a host application to provide a usually very specificfunction on demand. The vendor-provided plug-in (187) in the method ofFIG. 3 is a module of computer program instructions that extends thecapabilities of the system management server in that the plug-in iscapable of receiving queries for port-specific operating parameters of aparticular switch and retrieving such parameters. Accessingport-specific operating parameters on switches having various vendorsmay require vendor specific computer program instructions for eachswitch. To reduce complexity and size of the SMS application, a user mayinstall only a single vendor plug-in for each switch currently in use inthe data center, where each vendor plug-in provides the necessarycomputer program instructions for querying and assigning port-specificoperating parameters for a particular switch.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described largely inthe context of a fully functional computer system for migratingport-specific operating parameters during blade server failover. Readersof skill in the art will recognize, however, that the present inventionalso may be embodied in a computer program product disposed on signalbearing media for use with any suitable data processing system. Suchsignal bearing media may be transmission media or recordable media formachine-readable information, including magnetic media, optical media,or other suitable media. Examples of recordable media include magneticdisks in hard drives or diskettes, compact disks for optical drives,magnetic tape, and others as will occur to those of skill in the art.Examples of transmission media include telephone networks for voicecommunications and digital data communications networks such as, forexample, Ethernets™ and networks that communicate with the InternetProtocol and the World Wide Web as well as wireless transmission mediasuch as, for example, networks implemented according to the IEEE 802.11family of specifications. Persons skilled in the art will immediatelyrecognize that any computer system having suitable programming meanswill be capable of executing the steps of the method of the invention asembodied in a program product. Persons skilled in the art will recognizeimmediately that, although some of the exemplary embodiments describedin this specification are oriented to software installed and executingon computer hardware, nevertheless, alternative embodiments implementedas firmware or as hardware are well within the scope of the presentinvention.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that modificationsand changes may be made in various embodiments of the present inventionwithout departing from its true spirit. The descriptions in thisspecification are for purposes of illustration only and are not to beconstrued in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention islimited only by the language of the following claims.

1. A method of migrating port-specific operating parameters during bladeserver failover, the method comprising: querying, by a system managementserver of a data center, a switch for port-specific operating parametersof a first port, the data center comprising blade servers coupled fordata communications to one another and to the system management serverby a network, the system management server comprising a computersubsystem that automates server management processes in the data center,the switch comprising a data communications component of the network,the switch comprising ports, the ports comprising physical points ofconnection between the switch and blade servers, each port havingassociated port-specific operating parameters, the switch connected atthe first port to a failing blade server, wherein querying a switch forport-specific operating parameters of a first port further comprises:for each switch in a chassis in which the failing blade server isinstalled: determining, from a data structure associating slot numbersand port identifications, one or more port identifications associatedwith a slot number of the failing blade server; and querying the switchfor port-specific operating parameters using the determined portidentifications associated with the slot number of the failing blade;and assigning, by the system management server, the port-specificoperating parameters to a second port in the same switch or anotherswitch connected at the second port to a replacement blade server. 2.The method of claim 1 further comprising: establishing automatically bythe system management server the data structure associating slot numbersand port identifications in dependence upon a chassis type.
 3. Themethod of claim 1 wherein assigning the port-specific operatingparameters to a second port in a same switch or another switch connectedat the second port to a replacement blade server further comprisessending, to a vendor-provided plug-in for the switch connected to thereplacement blade server, an instruction to assign the port-specificoperating parameters to the second ports of the switch connected to thereplacement blade server, the vendor-provided plug-in installed as partof the system management server.
 4. The method of claim 1 whereinport-specific operating parameters further comprise any of Quality ofService (‘QoS’) settings, Virtual Local Area Network ('VLAN') settings,and N_Port ID Virtualization (‘NPIV’) parameters.
 5. The method of claim1 further comprising: assigning, by the system management server,default port-specific operating parameters to the first port in theswitch connected at the first port to the failing blade server.
 6. Anapparatus for migrating port-specific operating parameters during bladeserver failover, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, acomputer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, thecomputer memory including computer program instructions capable of:querying, by a system management server of a data center, a switch forport-specific operating parameters of a first port, the data centercomprising blade servers coupled for data communications to one anotherand to the system management server by a network, the system managementserver comprising a computer subsystem that automates server managementprocesses in the data center, the switch comprising a datacommunications component of the network, the switch comprising ports,the ports comprising physical points of connection between the switchand blade servers, each port having associated port-specific operatingparameters, the switch connected at the first port to a failing bladeserver, wherein querying a switch for port-specific operating parametersof a first port further comprises: for each switch in a chassis in whichthe failing blade server is installed: determining, from a datastructure associating slot numbers and port identifications, one or moreport identifications associated with a slot number of the failing bladeserver; and querying the switch for port-specific operating parametersusing the determined port identifications associated with the slotnumber of the failing blade; and assigning, by the system managementserver, the port-specific operating parameters to a second port in thesame switch or another switch connected at the second port to areplacement blade server.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprisingcomputer program instructions capable of: establishing automatically bythe system management server the data structure associating slot numbersand port identifications in dependence upon a chassis type.
 8. Theapparatus of claim 6 wherein assigning the port-specific operatingparameters to a second port in a same switch or another switch connectedat the second port to a replacement blade server further comprisessending, to a vendor-provided plug-in for the switch connected to thereplacement blade server, an instruction to assign the port-specificoperating parameters to the second ports of the switch connected to thereplacement blade server, the vendor-provided plug-in installed as partof the system management server.
 9. The apparatus of claim 6 whereinport-specific operating parameters further comprise any of Quality ofService (‘QoS’) settings, Virtual Local Area Network ('VLAN') settings,and N_Port ID Virtualization (‘NPIV’) parameters.
 10. The apparatus ofclaim 6 further comprising computer program instructions capable of:assigning, by the system management server, default port-specificoperating parameters to the first port in the switch connected at thefirst port to the failing blade server.
 11. A computer program productfor migrating port-specific operating parameters during blade serverfailover, the computer program product disposed in a computer readablemedium, wherein the computer readable medium is not a signal, thecomputer program product comprising computer program instructionscapable of: querying, by a system management server of a data center, aswitch for port-specific operating parameters of a first port, the datacenter comprising blade servers coupled for data communications to oneanother and to the system management server by a network, the systemmanagement server comprising a computer subsystem that automates servermanagement processes in the data center, the switch comprising a datacommunications component of the network, the switch comprising ports,the ports comprising physical points of connection between the switchand blade servers, each port having associated port-specific operatingparameters, the switch connected at the first port to a failing bladeserver, wherein querying a switch for port-specific operating parametersof a first port further comprises: for each switch in a chassis in whichthe failing blade server is installed: determining, from a datastructure associating slot numbers and port identifications, one or moreort identifications associated with a slot number of the failing bladeserver; and querying the switch for port-specific operating parametersusing the determined port identifications associated with the slotnumber of the failing blade; and assigning, by the system managementserver, the port-specific operating parameters to a second port in thesame switch or another switch connected at the second port to areplacement blade server.
 12. The computer program product of claim 11further comprising computer program instructions capable of:establishing automatically by the system management server the datastructure associating slot numbers and port identifications independence upon a chassis type.
 13. The computer program product ofclaim 11 wherein assigning the port-specific operating parameters to asecond port in a same switch or another switch connected at the secondport to a replacement blade server further comprises sending, to avendor-provided plug-in for the switch connected to the replacementblade server, an instruction to assign the port-specific operatingparameters to the second ports of the switch connected to thereplacement blade server, the vendor-provided plug-in installed as partof the system management server.
 14. The computer program product ofclaim 11 wherein port-specific operating parameters further comprise anyof Quality of Service (‘QoS’) settings, Virtual Local Area Network('VLAN') settings, and N_Port ID Virtualization (‘NPIV’) parameters. 15.The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising computerprogram instructions capable of: assigning, by the system managementserver, default port-specific operating parameters to the first port inthe switch connected at the first port to the failing blade server. 16.The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the computer readablemedium comprises a recordable medium.